No parent wants to hear those dreaded words: Head Lice
Unfortunately, head lice are an inevitable part of childhood and will make their way into the school and classroom. I have seen several cases of head lice since school started. My procedure when head lice is found is to notify the parent by phone, I send home written information about how to treat head lice, and I send a letter to the classroom notifying other parents that head lice was found in their child's class. This allows other families to check for lice and lets us know if the lice have had a chance to spread. I do not do entire classroom head checks unless there have been several cases found in a class.
Please let me know if you have found and treated head lice on your child. I always keep student information private and confidential. I have the most up-to-date information on how to best treat for head lice and can help dispel any myths around it.
What should you teach your child to help prevent getting lice?
1. Avoid head-to-head contact! This is the primary way that head lice are spread. Be especially aware of sleepovers as this is a common way that lice are spread.
2. Keep long hair pulled back in a ponytail or braid
3. Don't share hats, combs, hair brushes, or hair ties
4. Keep your personal belongings (sweatshirts, hats, etc) in your backpack at school
Oh crumb, my kid got head lice anyway. Now what!?
Here are my top 5 tips for treating head lice!
1. Shampoo with an over the counter Lice Shampoo such as Nix or Rid. Follow the directions carefully!
2. Check everyone in the house.
3. Clean the environment. (Wash bedding, vaccuum, bag things that can't be washed)
4. Comb, Comb, Comb. Daily combs with a metal lice comb. This can be tedious, but families who comb daily until no live lice or nits have been seen for 2 weeks are the most successful at treating lice.
5. Retreat with the Lice Shampoo 10 days after the first treatment. This second treatment is VERY important as it will kill any lice that have hatched after the first treatment before they have a chance to lay more eggs.
Want more information?
Please don't hesitate to call or email me if you have any questions about head lice!
No comments:
Post a Comment